privacyNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Stories and features from the KUOW newsroom.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94privacySat, 19 Aug 2017 22:24:56 +0000privacyhttp://kuow.org
Jamala HendersonSmart devices like your phone or tablet could be used to track your movements. A group of computer science researchers at the University of Washington recently demonstrated this. They turned smart devices into active sonar systems using a new computer code they created called CovertBand and a few pop songs.That song on your smartphone could be a spy (and not just about your musical tastes)http://kuow.org/post/song-your-smartphone-could-be-spy-and-not-just-about-your-musical-tastes
110995 as http://kuow.orgThu, 17 Aug 2017 22:28:47 +0000That song on your smartphone could be a spy (and not just about your musical tastes)Samantha RaphelsonHere's what we've been told about passwords: Make them complicated. Use numbers, question marks and hash marks. Change them regularly. Use different passwords for each app and website. These guidelines often leave users frustrated and struggling to remember them all. Now the National Institute of Standards and Technology is about to make all of our lives much easier. The organization recently revised its guidelines for creating passwords, and the new advice sharply diverges from previous rules. "The traditional guidance is actually producing passwords that are easy for bad guys and hard for legitimate users," says Paul Grassi, senior standards and technology adviser at NIST, who led the new revision of guidelines. The organization suggests keeping passwords simple, long and memorable. Phrases, lowercase letters and typical English words work well, Grassi tells NPR's Audie Cornish. Experts no longer suggest special characters and a mix of lower and uppercase letters. And passwords neverForget Tough Passwords: New Guidelines Make It Simplehttp://kuow.org/post/forget-tough-passwords-new-guidelines-make-it-simple
110811 as http://kuow.orgMon, 14 Aug 2017 20:51:00 +0000Forget Tough Passwords: New Guidelines Make It SimpleCamila DomonoskeA privacy watchdog group has filed a complaint with the FTC over Google's system for tracking purchases Internet users make in person, at physical store locations. Google announced the new service — a way for advertisers to measure the effectiveness of an online ad campaign — in May. It combines Google's search and app records with credit card purchase data acquired from third-party sources. "We invested in building industry-leading privacy protections before launching this solution," the company tells NPR in a statement. "All data is encrypted and aggregated." The Electronic Privacy Information Center is concerned that Google's methods, the details of which are not public, may not sufficiently safeguard users' privacy. The center, also known as EPIC, is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. "Google claims that they don't know who the users are, that they are being de-identified," says Marc Rotenberg, the president of EPIC. "We want the FTC to take a closer look." 'StoreWatchdog Group Files Complaint Over Google Tracking In-Person Purchaseshttp://kuow.org/post/watchdog-group-files-complaint-over-google-tracking-person-purchases
109917 as http://kuow.orgMon, 31 Jul 2017 21:57:00 +0000Watchdog Group Files Complaint Over Google Tracking In-Person PurchasesBill Radke speaks with WIRED senior writer Emily Dreyfuss about her article that asks the question if Amazon's Echo should be able to call the police and what implications that could have on our privacy.Should Amazon's Echo be able to call the police? http://kuow.org/post/should-amazons-echo-be-able-call-police
109095 as http://kuow.orgWed, 19 Jul 2017 22:37:08 +0000Should Amazon's Echo be able to call the police? Tom BanseMessage Received: You Want Privacy Protections While Surfing Internet http://kuow.org/post/message-received-you-want-privacy-protections-while-surfing-internet
102001 as http://kuow.orgFri, 07 Apr 2017 00:14:00 +0000Message Received: You Want Privacy Protections While Surfing Internet Brian NaylorThe House of Representatives has gone along with the Senate and voted 215-205 to overturn a yet-to-take-effect regulation that would have required Internet service providers — like Comcast, Verizon and Charter — to get consumers' permission before selling their data. President Trump is expected to sign the rollback, according to a White House statement . The measure is a victory for the ISPs, which have argued that the regulation would put them at a disadvantage compared with so-called edge providers, like Google and Facebook. Those companies are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and face less stringent requirements. Congress' approval is a loss for privacy advocates, who fought for the regulation, passed in October of last year by the then-Democratic majority on the Federal Communications Commission. ISPs collect huge amounts of data on the websites people visit, including medical, financial and other personal information. The FCC regulation would have required ISPs to askCongress Overturns Internet Privacy Regulationhttp://kuow.org/post/congress-overturns-internet-privacy-regulation
101351 as http://kuow.orgTue, 28 Mar 2017 22:19:00 +0000Congress Overturns Internet Privacy RegulationGreg MyreAs President Trump prepares a new executive order on vetting refugees and immigrants, one idea keeps cropping up: checking the social media accounts of those coming to the U.S. In fact, such a program was begun under the Obama administration more than a year ago on a limited basis and is likely to be expanded. But social media vetting is a heavy lift, and it's too early to tell how effective it will be. Leon Rodriguez, who stepped down last month as head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services , said the checks began around the end of 2015, coinciding with the rise of Syrian refugee admissions. Until that point, only 2,000 or so Syrian refugees had been admitted to the U.S. during four years of war there. The number of Syrian refugees coming to the U.S. jumped to more than 12,000 last year . "Initially, we were focused on Syrian males who had some sort of flag in their application," said Rodriguez. Over the course of last year, his agency kept "expanding the universe of peopleTrump Administration Weighs Increased Scrutiny Of Refugees' Social Media http://kuow.org/post/trump-administration-weighs-increased-scrutiny-refugees-social-media
99243 as http://kuow.orgFri, 24 Feb 2017 22:59:00 +0000Trump Administration Weighs Increased Scrutiny Of Refugees' Social Media Rebecca HersherYahoo is warning some of its users that their accounts might have been breached by intruders using forged cookies, allowing them to access private information without knowing users' passwords. Cookies are pieces of code stored by browsers to, among other things, keep track of whether a user is logged into a password-protected account. They're also used for innocuous functions, such as keeping track of online shopping cart contents . This latest warning to users stems from an ongoing investigation into previously disclosed hacking of at least 500 million user accounts in 2014. Ars Technica reported that Yahoo sent emails this week to users stating that "based on the ongoing investigation, we believe a forged cookie may have been used in 2015 or 2016 to access your account." The company first revealed the data breach in September 2016, as The Two-Way reported . In December, Yahoo disclosed a separate hacking incident of more than 1 billion accounts in 2013, as we reported . In a NovemberYahoo Warns More Users That Their Private Information May Have Been Stolenhttp://kuow.org/post/yahoo-warns-more-users-their-private-information-may-have-been-stolen
98659 as http://kuow.orgThu, 16 Feb 2017 17:48:00 +0000Yahoo Warns More Users That Their Private Information May Have Been StolenTom BanseA suburban Portland fire district has a valentine for potential heart attack victims. And if it makes hearts un-flutter, you could see the messages shared more widely across the region and country in coming years via a lifesaving smartphone app.Bystander CPR App Expands Coverage To Private Homes In Pilot Projecthttp://kuow.org/post/bystander-cpr-app-expands-coverage-private-homes-pilot-project
98430 as http://kuow.orgTue, 14 Feb 2017 01:13:00 +0000Bystander CPR App Expands Coverage To Private Homes In Pilot ProjectCarolyn AdolphOn Thursday, a dozen Seattle police officers strapped on body cameras for the first time. By the end of 2017, 850 officers will be using them.Seattle police get body cams starting todayhttp://kuow.org/post/seattle-police-get-body-cams-starting-today
95216 as http://kuow.orgThu, 29 Dec 2016 18:52:47 +0000Seattle police get body cams starting todayAlina SelyukhAmazon's personal assistant device called Echo was one of the most popular gifts this Christmas. But this week, the device grabbed headlines for another reason: Police in Arkansas are trying to use its data in a murder investigation. What we know from court documents is that in November 2015, a man in Arkansas had some friends over at his house to watch a football game and in the morning, one of the friends was found dead in a hot tub in the backyard. Police later charged the man who lived in the house, James Bates, with murder. He has pleaded not guilty. As the police were investigating the crime, they found a number of digital devices in the suspect's house, including an Amazon Echo device that was in the kitchen. They have since seized the device and have apparently gotten some information from it, but what they want to check is what — if anything — the device may have recorded around the time of the murder. Here's how the device works: Echo is always listening for the wake, orAs We Leave More Digital Tracks, Amazon Echo Factors In Murder Investigationhttp://kuow.org/post/we-leave-more-digital-tracks-amazon-echo-factors-murder-investigation
95197 as http://kuow.orgWed, 28 Dec 2016 20:20:00 +0000As We Leave More Digital Tracks, Amazon Echo Factors In Murder InvestigationAnya Kamenetz Ken Yeh thought his school was buying software to keep kids off of certain websites. What he didn't know was that it could help identify a student who might be considering suicide. Yeh is the technology director at a private K-12 school near Los Angeles. Three years ago, the school began buying Chromebook laptops for students to use in class and at home. That, Yeh says, raised concerns from parents about what they'd be used for, especially outside of school. He turned to a startup called called GoGuardian , which helped the school create a list of off-limits sites: porn, hacking-related sites and "timewasters" like online games, TV and movie streaming. The software also has another feature: It tracks students' browsing and their searches. And that's how Yeh was alerted that a student appeared to be in severe emotional distress. He recalls getting an indicator at work that a student had been searching for suicide and several related terms. "I then went in to view the student's browsingWhen A School's Online Eavesdropping Can Prevent A Suicide http://kuow.org/post/when-schools-online-eavesdropping-can-prevent-suicide
94918 as http://kuow.orgFri, 23 Dec 2016 09:26:00 +0000When A School's Online Eavesdropping Can Prevent A Suicide Rebecca HersherUpdated at 7:00 p.m. ET Yahoo says hackers stole names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers from more than 1 billion accounts. In a statement posted to its website on Wednesday, the company said it had "taken steps to secure user accounts and is working closely with law enforcement." The statement continued: "As Yahoo previously disclosed in November, law enforcement provided the company with data files that a third party claimed was Yahoo user data. The company analyzed this data with the assistance of outside forensic experts and found that it appears to be Yahoo user data. Based on further analysis of this data by the forensic experts, Yahoo believes an unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts. ... "The investigation indicates that the stolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information. PaymentYahoo Says Hackers Stole Information From More Than 1 Billion Accountshttp://kuow.org/post/yahoo-says-hackers-stole-information-more-1-billion-accounts
94309 as http://kuow.orgWed, 14 Dec 2016 23:58:03 +0000Yahoo Says Hackers Stole Information From More Than 1 Billion AccountsBrian NaylorThere are some big companies out there that you've probably never heard of, that know more about you than you can imagine. They're called data brokers, and they collect all sorts of information — names, addresses, income, where you go on the Internet and who you connect with online. That information is then sold to other companies. There are few regulations governing these brokers. Data brokers have been around for a long time, collecting information about your magazine and newspaper subscriptions. They know whether you prefer dogs or cats. From public records they can tell if you drive a Ford or a Subaru or if you've declared bankruptcy. But the Internet upped the ante considerably. Think of all that personal data you share on Facebook, or your online shopping. According to Julie Brill, who recently stepped down as a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, these companies share just about everything. "It's what Web pages we visit, where we're shopping, who we're interfacing withFirms Are Buying, Sharing Your Online Info. What Can You Do About It?http://kuow.org/post/firms-are-buying-sharing-your-online-info-what-can-you-do-about-it
83495 as http://kuow.orgMon, 11 Jul 2016 21:11:00 +0000Firms Are Buying, Sharing Your Online Info. What Can You Do About It?Michelle AndrewsWhen Sean Meyers was in a car accident on a November evening three years ago, he was flown by air ambulance to the emergency department at Inova Fairfax Hospital, in Northern Virginia. With his arm broken in four places, a busted knee and severe bruising to his upper body, Meyers, 29, was admitted to the hospital. Though he was badly hurt, his injuries didn't seem life threatening. When his car went off the road, Meyers had been on his way to visit his parents, who live nearby in Sterling. They rushed to the hospital that night to wait for news and to be available if Sean or the hospital staff needed anything. But beyond the barest details, no one from the hospital talked with them about their son's condition or care, not that night nor during the next 10 days while he was hospitalized. "All the time he was there, the hospital staff was very curt with us," says Sam Meyers, Sean's dad. "We couldn't understand why we were being ignored." After leaving the hospital, Sean moved into hisParents May Be Refused Details Of Adult Children's Medical Carehttp://kuow.org/post/parents-may-be-refused-details-adult-childrens-medical-care
80464 as http://kuow.orgTue, 31 May 2016 15:55:00 +0000Parents May Be Refused Details Of Adult Children's Medical CareJoel RoseWhen you ride on buses or trains in many parts of the United States, what you say could be recorded. Get on a New Jersey Transit light rail train in Hoboken or Jersey City, for example, and you might notice an inconspicuous sign that says "video and audio systems in use." A lot of riders are not happy about it. "Yeah I don't like that," says Michael Dolan of Bayonne, N.J. "I don't want conversations being picked up because it's too Orwellian for me. It reeks of Big Brother." New Jersey's public transit system is just the latest to add audio and video surveillance on some of its trains. Other agencies have been quietly recording their passengers for years, but critics say that's an invasion of privacy. Security Cameras Are Fine, But Audio Recordings Cross The Line "Private conversation should be private between you and the individual that you're speaking to," says NJ Transit rider Neeley Banks of Bayonne. But like a lot of commuters, Banks says she's OK with security cameras on theYour Conversation On The Bus Or Train May Be Recordedhttp://kuow.org/post/your-conversation-bus-or-train-may-be-recorded
76877 as http://kuow.orgFri, 15 Apr 2016 22:04:00 +0000Your Conversation On The Bus Or Train May Be RecordedBill ChappellSaying its customers "have a right to know when the government obtains a warrant to read their emails" — and that Microsoft has a right to tell them about gag orders — the tech giant has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department. Microsoft is asking a judge to declare part of a federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 2705(b) , unconstitutional under both the First and Fourth Amendments. As NPR's Aarti Shahani reports for our Newscast unit: "According to the complaint filed in district court in Seattle, the company received about 5,600 demands for customer data from September 2014 up through last month. And nearly half of those came with gag orders — forbidding Microsoft to tell said customers that the government was looking at their emails or calendars or other files stored in the Microsoft cloud. And of those orders, the vast majority had no time limit." In its complaint , Microsoft says the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which dates to 1986, lets courts orderMicrosoft Sues Justice Dept., Seeking To Inform Customers About Seized Datahttp://kuow.org/post/microsoft-sues-justice-dept-seeking-inform-customers-about-seized-data
76749 as http://kuow.orgThu, 14 Apr 2016 19:10:00 +0000Microsoft Sues Justice Dept., Seeking To Inform Customers About Seized DataAarti ShahaniThe Internal Revenue Service says it's seeing a surge in phone scams. More than 5,000 victims have been duped out of $26.5 million since late 2013. It's hard to know what exactly con artists are thinking when they target their victims. But now, we know what they are saying. Before we get started, keep this in mind: The IRS says it doesn't call about outstanding taxes without first mailing you a bill. Pindrop Security, an Atlanta-based company that investigates phone fraud, recently gave NPR a recording. It's a grueling conversation, more than an hour long, between an active fraud ring and a presumed victim, who is in reality a Pindrop researcher. Pindrop set up honeypots — dummy phone numbers, some of which are entered into online raffles (win a free iPhone, anyone?) that are run by criminal rings. Pindrop has traced at least 28 fraud incidents to this specific ring. According to phone metadata, the fake IRS call center is based in a Seattle suburb. But that could just be a proxy.A Real-Life Tax Scam: This Is What IRS Phone Fraud Sounds Likehttp://kuow.org/post/real-life-tax-scam-what-irs-phone-fraud-sounds
76569 as http://kuow.orgMon, 11 Apr 2016 21:42:00 +0000A Real-Life Tax Scam: This Is What IRS Phone Fraud Sounds LikeMartin KasteWhen the FBI tried to force Apple to unlock an iPhone last month , it was a battle of titans. There were high-powered lawyers and dueling public relations strategies. But when police encounter a privacy technology run by volunteers, things can be a little different. For example, when Seattle police showed up at David Robinson's home shortly after 6 a.m. last Wednesday, he figured he had little choice but to let them in and hand over all his computer passwords. "They were there because I run a Tor exit relay," he says. Tor (which stands for The Onion Router) is a system that allows people to surf the Internet anonymously. It's sometimes referred to as the "dark Web," and it relies on Internet connections provided by volunteers like Robinson. "Traffic passes through my computers and I don't know what it is," he says. While Tor is useful for dissidents to evade government surveillance and censorship, it can also be used for less noble purposes. "It's much like the post office or theWhen A Dark Web Volunteer Gets Raided By The Policehttp://kuow.org/post/when-dark-web-volunteer-gets-raided-police
76086 as http://kuow.orgMon, 04 Apr 2016 22:05:00 +0000When A Dark Web Volunteer Gets Raided By The PoliceNaomi LaChanceThe first sign seems innocuous enough if you don't know what you're looking at: Files in the computer appear as decrypt.html, or decrypt.txt instead of their usual names. Then, you click. A box pops up that gives you an ultimatum: Want the file? You'll have to pay up, and probably in bitcoin. That is what happened at U.S. hospitals in the past month in California , Kentucky , Maryland and the District of Columbia . The malware attacks have left the 14 hospitals — 10 of which are part of the MedStar hospital group — unable to access patient data and, in some cases, having to turn patients away . Hospitals are not alone in their vulnerability; last month, a cafe in Maryland was hit with a ransomware attack. In another instance, Mac computers were targeted. Last year, police in Massachusetts paid hackers to return access to their data. Companies and individuals in the U.S. lost more than $24 million to ransomware in 2015, according to the FBI. And in February at the Hollywood PresbyterianMalware Attacks On Hospitals Put Patients At Riskhttp://kuow.org/post/malware-attacks-hospitals-put-patients-risk
75933 as http://kuow.orgFri, 01 Apr 2016 21:12:00 +0000Malware Attacks On Hospitals Put Patients At Risk